BIRDS OF THE DISTRICT OF STAINES. 141 
and, as he has had experience of Crocodiles on the West 
Coast of Africa, he knows something about them. We never 
decided what caused the commotion ; it may have been large 
Pike we disturbed, but I fancy it was some bird, probably Great 
Crested Grebes. I remember disturbing a Coot from her nest 
once; she remained on the surface calling loudly, and wildly 
throwing the water about. 
20th.—Paid another visit to the pond in Windsor Park, and 
found another nest of Pochard with eight eggs, and also saw a 
brood of six swimming on the water. We found a vast number 
of Reed-Warbler’s nests, three of which contained Cuckoo’s eggs, 
and under three other nests we saw fully-grown young Cuckoos 
that had fallen out of the nests and been drowned. This points 
to a heavy death-rate among them when the eggs are placed in 
nests over water. We again met with several ‘‘ Crocodiles,” but 
got no nearer to solving the mystery. 
October 27th.—Some fifty Mallard, about twelve pairs of both 
Pochard and Tufted Duck, three or four Teal, and one Snipe 
were seen at the pond in Windsor Park to-day. Several Great 
Crested Grebe were swimming with half-grown young ; they kept 
close company, and the young were uttering a squeaking cry 
which sounded from the distance like the twitter of some Finch. 
The curious striped markings of the young were clearly dis- 
cernible. They must have been rather late broods. One Swallow 
was seen. 
Rineep Puover (Aigialitis hiaticola).—Mr. L. B. Mouritz in- 
forms me that he saw a Ringed Plover at the Staines Reservoirs 
on Aug. 18th, 1907. 
Woopcock (Scolopax rusticula).—One was shot at Wraysbury 
by Mr. W. Broughton, Sept. 29th, 1906. 
Common RepsHank (Totanus calidris).—Mr. Mouritz saw two 
at the Staines Reservoirs, July 18th, 1907. 
Buack Tern (Hydrochelidon nigra).—An immature bird flying 
over Virginia Water lake, Oct. 13th, 1907. (Another of Mr. 
Mouritz’s notes.) 
Common Tern (Sterna fluviatilis).—On May 12th, 1906, I saw 
a flock of quite a hundred Common Tern on the river at Old 
Windsor ; they were beating up and down stream in search of 
fish, and many of them passed within a few yards of me. Time 
